Have a glorious city break in Belgrade – the belle of the Balkans

BARELY hours into my trip to Belgrade, inevitably, I am sampling Serbia’s national drink, rakia – and being warned about the pitfalls of getting “drunk like a mother”.

The wise-cracking manager of the hip Rakia Bar on Dobracina Street isn’t warning me about the mild post-sherry facial flush my own mum is prone to.

Instead, those here for this evening’s taster session of shots are learning that the euphoric, light-headed sensation we feel was once used to help Serbian women get through childbirth. The fruity flavours we are presented with are far from agony, though. That is lucky as it is impossible to avoid this brandy-like drink.

Whether enjoying the traditional cuisine of barbecued meat, breaded cheese and vast salads in the city’s lively bohemian district (try Tri Sesira for an authentic experience, complete with a live Balkan band) or noshing at one of the trendy restaurants on the Beton Hala waterfront development on the River Sava (the Mexican-style tapas at Toro are perfection), I find rakia goes with everything. But I am not in Belgrade only to eat and drink. There is so much more to see during this glorious city break.

Our base is the Metropol Palace, a Marriott offering smart, stylish rooms along with a state-of-the-art gym, pool and spa, and a mouth-watering rooftop restaurant with views across Belgrade’s skyline. And it is slap-bang in the heart of town.

A walking tour of this beautiful city reveals the Balkan nation’s complicated transition from Yugoslavian region to independence. Bombed buildings remain among the broad, stately streets as a reminder of Nato’s intervention here during the Kosovo War in the late Nineties, while the Soviet-style concrete brutalist architecture of New Belgrade harks back to the reconstruction following World War Two.

There is evidence of much earlier conflict at the Kalemegdan Fortress, a medieval citadel sitting high above the city. It provides a striking view as the Sava flows into the Danube in a stunning, wild confluence.

This is just one of many awe-inspiring ancient strongholds littered around Serbia that are in such good nick they could have been used as locations for Game Of Thrones.

There are impressive structures rich in history on an excursion southeast of Belgrade too. The Manasija Monastery in the lush, green Resava Valley dates back to the 15th Century, with 11 looming towers guarding the frescos of the Holy Trinity Church.

While the Resava Cave discovered in the 1960s, is a three-mile network of caverns formed 80million years ago and featuring some of the world’s most beautiful displays of red, yellow and white stalactites and stalagmites.

Only a third of the caves are open to the public, but during this tour deep underground, it’s hard to believe that the huge rocky displays weren’t carved by some pre- civilisation race and are, indeed, just the work of nature.

Completing this privately organised day trip was the Vodopad waterfall, a tranquil spot to take in the beauty of rural Serbia while enjoying more barbecued meat and more rakia against the soothing sound of water gushing over a 20-metre cliff.

Back in Belgrade, there are less tranquil activities to enjoy at Ada Ciganlija, a lake in the centre of town that offers serene beaches kissed by clear blue water – ideal for swimming, jet-skiing or kayaking as the summer temperatures soar into the 30s.

There’s also every sport imaginable on offer in this vast park, though you can imagine my disappointment that the bungee-jump had yet to open for the season.

We chilled at Sunset, just one of the many restaurants and bars around this bustling location.

So, thanks to this rich mix of history, culture and fun, I managed to avoid ending up like the proverbial Serbian “mother”.

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